Westland water rates to increase 6.7 percent

Westland residents can expect to pay average of $10.21 more per bill for their water effective July 1.

That amounts to a 6.67 percent overall increase in water and sewer rates, including a $1 per bill increase most homeowners will see for the fixed rate charge added by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

Detroit is expected to approve an 11.3 percent increase for suburban communities, a bit over the 10 percent increase Westland factored into the local rates.

"We've been consistent with the Detroit increases in the last few years. We break it down over five years but council only has one-year approvals on the rates," said Westland Finance Director Steve Smith. "Last year, was the lowest increase we had seen in the last seven years. This year will be higher."

The increases from Detroit are only one factor in setting the city's water and sewer rates, Smith said. Another is sewer charges from Wayne County.

"We have people costs. Detroit rates might have a 10 percent increase but our people costs don't go up 10 percent –maybe up 1 or 2 percent," said Smith. "It balances with the Detroit increases."

In recent years, water usage has dropped, Smith said, due to factors, such as people conserving water to reduce their water bills or people who have moved out of state.

Since there are certain fixed operating costs for DWSD, communities now receive a fixed rate charge. That's something residents currently pay at $27 per month and will increase $1 July 1.

"The fixed rates go up each year. In the Finance Department, we get a lot of calls on the fixed rates," said Smith. "Detroit is doing more fixed rate costs – a lot of their costs are fixed. If they don't sell enough water, they can't cover the fixed costs."

To help address that and other water rates-related questions, residents can check out videos on the DWSD Outreach Operation Clean Water YouTube Channel.

The latest video explains how using less water does not lower the fixed costs to supply it. Other video topics include the real cost for a gallon of municipal water, how to reduce your water bill and why rates keep going up.

With the upcoming citywide water meter replacement program, Smith said the city hopes to shrink the amount of water loss – water the city receives wholesale from Detroit but is unable to bill to a customer. Accurate new meters are expected to address part of that problem.

"The (current) meters are 20 years old and at the end of their useful life. The meter replacement hasn't started yet; it will be a two-year program," said Smith. "Another thing that contributes to water loss is fire, what the fire departments uses and water main breaks."

In recent years, the council has worked to improve the financial condition of the water-sewer fund, which recently completed repayment of loans from the general fund. That has mean passing along rate increases to customers from Detroit and enough to fund system maintenance and capital outlay.

"We want to make sure we stay ahead of the curve and not behind it," said Westland Council President James Godbout. "Past councils didn't want to pass it (rate increases) along. That's what got us into trouble."